E-commerce websites provide virtual storefronts from which customers can purchase goods or services. E-commerce websites are generally globally accessible allowing the customer to conduct a purchase from virtually anywhere in the world. Such purchase transactions are typically effected using credit/charge accounts or other money accounts (e.g., a bank account) of the customer. To do so, the customer supplies his/her account information to the e-commerce website. The e-commerce website communicates with a payment authorization server to receive authorization of the payment. The payment authorization server typically verifies the account and ensures the requested currency amount of the purchase is not over the credit limit of the account. However, online purchase transactions remain susceptible to account fraud.
Account fraud, such as credit card fraud, occurs when an unauthorized individual uses a credit card or other account to effect a purchase. In many circumstances, credit card fraud and other account fraud involves purchases made from a location outside the customer's home location (e.g., outside the credit card holder's home location). As such, account fraud is particularly troublesome in regard to e-commerce purchases because such purchases can be made from virtually anywhere in the world.